06/15/2016

Tuesday's primaries in the newly redrawn congressional districts in Virginia saw several newcomers winning, as well as its first major upset.

In the 4th District, which includes ports of Chesterfield and Henrico counties, as well as the cities of Hopewell, Petersburg and Richmond, Don McEachin won the Republican Primary and Mike Wade won the Democratic Primary.

McEachin, a state senator and Richmond attorney, and Wade, Henrico's longtime sheriff, will now face off in November's General Election.

"This is why we run for office," he told the Virginia Pilot. "It’s about who we are as Americans. There is so much hate being preached … the hate that Donald Trump is preaching whether it's towards Muslims, whether it's toward LGBT people, whether it's towards Mexicans or people of other national origins – it's not American. It’s not who we are."

"Thank you to everyone for your support," Wade posted on Facebook. "Together we will win in November and ensure we have experienced leadership in Washington that is dedicated to finding commonsense conservative solutions for the families of the 4th Congressional District."

U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, who represents the state's 4th District currently, lost in a battle to Scott Taylor in the 2nd District.

"We had a vision for the United States Navy and for protecting religious freedom … apparently we couldn’t get enough voters in the 2nd District to embrace that vision," Forbes said to WAVY.

Taylor, a state House delegate and former Navy SEAL, says "we had a great great team and we had the right message."

06/09/2016

Voters in Virginia's 4th Congressional District will head to the polls on Tuesday, June 14 to select candidates in the race for the seat being opened by Randy Forbes, who is now running in the 2nd District.

On the Republican ballot are Mike Wade, who has been Henrico's sheriff since the early 1990s, and North Chesterfield's Jackee K. Gonzalez, a coordinator for the Family Foundation and worked on a previous re-election campaign for Forbes.

Democrats will choose between state Sen. Don McEachin, who is also an attorney in Richmond, and Chesapeake City Council member Ella Ward, who previously ran for the seat two years ago.

The 4th District includes ports of Chesterfield and Henrico counties, as well as the cities of Hopewell, Petersburg and Richmond. It stretches south and east of Richmond.

For more information on the election and to find your polling location, visit the State Board of Elections at elections.virginia.gov.

04/08/2016

A Bon Air woman is ready to challenge Dave Brat for the 7th Congressional District seat this fall.

Eileen Bedell, an attorney and mother, is fully embracing the underdog role, similar to the challenge that Brat faced two years ago when he unseated Eric Cantor.

"You have to believe in the underdog. This is a district where you can overturn conventional wisdom," Bedelle told the Chesterfield Observer recently. "I truly believe if you give the voters a reasonable alternative, it will result in a competitive election."

The 7th District includes parts of Chesterfield and Henrico counties and stretches northeast to Louisa and Culpeper.

The 2014 election captured the attention of media and voters across the country after Brat defeated Cantor, who was the House majority leader in a Republican primary at the time. He then went on to easily win in the general election.

03/21/2016

Melissa Gilbert, who made Laura Ingalls Wilder a household name during the "Little House on the Prairie" series, is hoping to land a seat in U.S. Congress in Michigan.

Gilbert, now 51, is running in a district just west of Detroit and has gained support from fellow actors such as Alec Baldwin, Michael Douglas, Jennifer Garner and Matthew Perry, according to the Washington Post.

Gilbert, who is running as a Democrat, told the Post that she's excited to be a part of this year's election as Hillary Clinton heads to a possible nomination for president.

"My granddaughter is turning 1, and I'd like for her to say, 'Look at what my granny did. My granny got to be a part of these incredible women and now I can be anything I want,'" she said.

Gilbert's move from Hollywood to politics certainly isn't new. Former President Ronald Reagan, former U.S. Rep. Sonny Bono, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and current U.S. Sen. Al Franken are just a handful of people to enter politics after a career in the entertainment industry.